triumph_communes

Laine for Risto+small add is his value right now. It’s end of offseason and a big cap hit-“, coming off a year with off ice and attitude problems. Value is lower than RORs was day before the deadline. I wouldnt be surprised if its McCabe or Rodrigues going the other way. But with everything Botterill has done this off season, both of them are expendable.

Krueger has a very unique power play system

Roster is meh. Tage Thompson was the best player in this last year. Wooo boy

Being 1-dimensional doesn't really matter if he's on a line with Eichel, where teams are spending all their attention on the center instead of the winger. And Eichel loves to pass. And Skinner on the other side? That would be fun to watch.

He is the reason I thought Rodrigues was going to become a piece in a trade to put a Ristolainen deal into our favor. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned into a decent 3C. His size isn't a big problem if our defense is not small, and other than Pilut and Nelson we don't have defenders who are struggling with the physical game.

I think Yakupov flourished as much as that flawed player ever could because Krueger heavily utilized him on the PP in a way that played to his strengths, and otherwise hid his weaknesses in ways that no other coach could, even after Krueger already paved the way for him. And have you looked at the D-corp that team had?! Krueger was my #1 choice for a coach before Housley was even fired. He was my #1 before Housley too. He is a player's coach, and that is what this team struggled with the most over the last few seasons, both with Bylsma and with Housley. Disconnect between coaching staff and players and their buy-in/motivation. This is the BEST coach out there to bridge that gap. He literally wrote the book on it. And he is a guy who Team Canada thought was world-class to use for his Xs and Os and video breakdown analysis, so it's not like he's some Ted Nolan either. I understand your devil's advocate position, but I countered it with what I considered objective facts of the situation that could readily explain the drop regardless of the coach. A sophomore player who struggled post-injury, and had a lock-out summer before he's really understood how to off-season as a pro, struggled to put up numbers under a new coach/system is not just the coach's fault. Especially when the player loved the coach and was shooting below his career averages that one shortened year.

You mean the player who barely scored after his 20 game absence for a shoulder injury the season prior? He needed to find his groove post-injury. Plus, RNH LOVED Krueger. Couple this with his below typical shooting % and I wouldn't look too far into it.

Krueger made Yakupov look like a budding star. That Edmonton roster was atrocious. I would take their finish to the seasons with a grain of salt.

Toronto has the 7th best with top-pairing Cody Ceci; You sure this isn't a satire piece?

This is going to be an exciting training camp. I also still think Risto is moved for more forwards, making camp even crazier.

And I hate paying taxes. They just don’t understand that math. Alternatives to escrow are even worse

He is if Gardiner signs medium term

Risto+spare parts for Mantha, yes easily Would they take McCabe+Smith?

McCabe+Risto+Rodrigues for Rakell+Kase Sign Gardiner with remaining space

There is literally no offensive production with him on a line. It always dies on his stick. *all anecdotal, no fancy stats

Okposo is such a possession anchor to put on any line other than Girgensons+Larsson

Chinese knockoffs have been better quality than whatever fanatics crap you buy at the team store. Can’t imagine why this would be different

so pretty. I love white gloves. Sad they're only for a year. I hope when they move to royal blue, the white jersey looks exactly like this except with the lighter blue and a switch from gold to yellow (that is, no shoulder-pads like the originals)

He forms bad habits slinging pucks up the boards playing with idiot wingers who can’t get open and d partners who can’t catch a pass while playing too many minutes per night. His only chance at getting rest is from nearly icing it. Hard habit to break but a new coach can do it. I bet he excels elsewhere. It’s on him if he gives Krueger a chance or not.

Risto was open about complaining being paired with guys like Scandella who he couldn’t trust to pass it to because they’d fumble it. He’s stated as much. He is a good player, he just needs a change of scenery.

I think we already had a decent team, barring the abysmal defensive depth, and they only got better and completely reworked that depth. I think coaching will be all the difference.

Welp, there goes his trade value if he had any

Who cares how much it’s only for this season. If you have to retain you do it.

I saw absolutely nobody for him to pass to so he’d get in trouble. But to each his own viewpoint.

If Botterill wants four scoring lines, Ruostalainen is making the team as a center and Okposo will be in the press box.